NEWS

Film AlUla begins construction on first phase of studio complex

Film AlUla, the film agency of the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), has begun construction of a comprehensive studio complex to kick-start the next phase in northwest Arabia’s emergence as a regional hub for the screen sector. Completion of the first phase encompassing approximately 30,000sqm is targeted for Q4 2023.

The first phase will include two soundstages, production support buildings, workshops, a pyro/sfx building, a catering facility and an admin building, plus a 6,500sqm backlot and a sound recording studio. The complex will also be near 12km of dedicated outdoor shooting locations that showcase the ancient heritage of AlUla.

Charlene Deleon-Jones, Executive Director of Film AlUla, said: “AlUla is a thriving centre for arts, culture and heritage. With the film and screen sector of central focus, the first phase of this studio complex is carefully planned and part of a much larger programme of infrastructure development. This complex will satisfy the growing demand from regional and international producers to shoot at AlUla, while also supplying an epicentre for our production ecosystem. The studio complex will diversify AlUla’s economy in line with the objectives of RCU, as we build a home to nurture Saudi talent in the screen sector for generations to come.”

Film AlUla has worked with US live-experience company Tait to ensure that the production experience will be uncluttered and comfortable, including during the summer months. The studio complex will be 14 minutes from the Film AlUla Residence, which has 300 rooms, restaurants, recreational facilities and office space for industry professionals, and 20 minutes from AlUla International Airport, which recently opened a hangar for private jets.

Phase two of the master plan is in the planning stage and will be revealed in Q2 2023. Saudi Arabia offers a cashback rebate of up to 40% for international and local feature films, television series and documentaries that shoot in the Kingdom.

Film AlUla has hosted 694 production-days since opening in 2020. Movies have included Kandahar, directed by Ric Roman Waugh and starring Gerard Butler, which was the first major Hollywood feature to shoot almost entirely in AlUla; the Iraq war story Cherry, starring Tom Holland and directed by Anthony and Joe Russo; and Norah, the first Saudi feature film to be shot at AlUla and featuring an all-Saudi cast and over 40% Saudi crew. In addition, many TV productions have been filmed in AlUla, including the British series Expedition with Steve Backshall and Nat Geo documentaries, along with commercials, promos, photo shoots and short films.

Film AlUla has also contracted third-party environmental agencies to conduct a 10-month Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) to select an appropriate location for the studio complex. Construction will include continuous environmental monitoring.

The studio complex will be situated 14 minutes from the Film AlUla Residence.

Studio 1932 inks deal with Pressman Film for film production in KSA

Hollywood production house Pressman Film has partnered with Saudi Arabia’s Studio 1932 to create an epic feature film which will be shot throughout the Kingdom. Under the deal, Pressman Film and Studio 1932 will film an action-drama feature based in ancient Arabia. The collaboration of cultural and creative value was made possible by the support of the Saudi Film Commission and the commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030. Studio 1932 is a Saudi production company formed by a group of local investors with a common vision to elevate the entertainment industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia into innovative and global standard quality.

Industry veteran launches The Yard Films in Abu Dhabi

Jakob Mejlhede Andersen, former Chief Content Officer at Shahid, has launched a new production and development company, The Yard Films, based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Joining him as part of the executive team are Camilla Hammer, an industry expert with global acquisitions, sales and packaging experience; and Phil Rostom, a MENA industry veteran. Together they bring extensive

Jakob Mejlhede Andersen. expertise across the creation, production and financing of content across MENA, Europe and the US.

The Yard Films aims to develop and produce original scripted and nonscripted content for both local and international players. The company has identified a strong need for storytelling that targets millennials and Gen Z, particularly within existing and upcoming OTT services.

Ninetnine expands Helwa TV reach in MENA through Arabsat

Content provider Ninetnine has launched free-to-air live linear entertainment channel Helwa TV on Arabsat’s Badr-6 satellite. Operated by Ninetnine and co-owned by BluTV, Helwa TV broadcasts premium Turkish and North African series.

Arabsat CEO Alhamedi Alanezi said: “Following Arabsat’s new strategy to expand our cooperation with key partners, we succeeded in creating an ecosystem of international media partners that allows us to build strong ties with our clients. Ninetnine’s innovative media distribution approach aligns with our vision and strategy. This partnership is the first brick of more projects to be announced in 2023.”

Ninetnine co-founders Samir Zehani (front left) and Adel Hamla (back right) with the Arabsat team Wael Al Buti (front right) and Laith Alani (back left) at the signing ceremony.

Wataaa TV collaborates with BIGG TV

BIGG TV and Wataaa TV have launched a new package, Versus, available for subscription on STC TV for audiences in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait, and on Jawwy TV for the UAE and the rest of the Middle East. BIGG TV is a 24/7 premium gaming TV channel aired across Asia and MENA. The launch of this new add-on package, consisting of two linear channels combining gaming and combat sports content, will provide a comprehensive offering of premium and diverse content through live and replay.

Jeff Padovani, CEO of BIGG TV, said: “With an affordable monthly subscription, fans will be able to enjoy live events of the most popular games such as CS:GO, DOTA 2, LOL, Starcraft, Hearthstone, Fortnite and so on.”

Al Aan TV deploys Actus Digital solutions

Dubai-based regional TV channel Al Aan TV has implemented Actus Digital's intelligent monitoring platform to record compliance, monitor content, create advanced clips and export them, all while increasing viewer engagement and ensuring high quality of service. The Actus compliance and monitoring software is hardware-agnostic, enabling Al Aan TV to deploy the platform on existing, onpremises servers.

Cesar Eid, Deputy Head of Technical Operations at Al Aan TV, said: "Our legacy broadcast monitoring system had reached its end of life and we needed to find a replacement that was robust, reliable and flexible, to support our evolving requirements and provide solutions that not only support the requirements of the technical department but also those of other departments, such as the digital media and OTT. Actus Digital's platform provides us with a feature-rich solution that supports countless capabilities beyond compliance and technical monitoring."

MAD Solutions launches new unit for Arab talent behind the camera

MAD Solutions has launched MAD Crew Celebrity, a new unit dedicated to boosting the careers of Arab directors, producers, writers, cinematographers, costume designers, composers and editors. This comes after the company announced the MAD Rising Celebrity division in 2020 to launch up-and-coming film and TV actors from across the Arab world – a specialised spin-off of its core MAD Celebrity unit for top-tier actors and TV hosts.

MAD Crew Celebrity aims to nurture and burnish the careers of Arab industry professionals in a region where such local representation has been virtually non-existent. It will be managed by Angie Skaik under the oversight of Kareem Samy, Executive Director of MAD Celebrity, one of the five operating divisions at MAD Solutions.

Tunisian producer and coproducer Dora Bouchoucha is one of the talents being represented by MAD Crew Celebrity.

Sharjah Media City launches new venture for media startups

Sharjah Media City (Shams) has announced Shams Valley to launch startups in the media and technology sectors and create new opportunities for Sharjah's economy. Launched in collaboration with Grow Valley, the initiative allows Shams to tap into Grow Valley’s extensive expertise in the field, which covers everything from experimenting with startup ideas to developing them into viable businesses that cater to market requirements, in addition to ensuring future longevity and growth.

Zero Density announces new regional hire

Zero Density has appointed Yacoub Al Husseini as new Regional Sales Manager for the Middle East and Africa. Al Husseini will work closely with the local community to continue expanding the business in the region, and will support the network of regional partners and customers as demand for photorealistic virtual production and upgraded broadcast graphics tools increases. He was previously with Vizrt.

BeIN strikes blow to retailers of illegal IPTV boxes in Jordan

BeIN Media Group has announced a successful action to combat piracy in Jordan, tackling a major retailer of set-top boxes. It was carried out against a widely known Jordanian electronics retailer across multiple branches. In each store, the authorities discovered multiple illegal IPTV boxes being marketed for sale.

The retailer was found to have been proactively selling to customers, with several hundred boxes likely to have been sold in October alone. The Department of National Library (DNL) and beIN have been monitoring local retailers’ activities for months, learning that 50% of dealers in Jordan are likely to recommend pirated products and services over genuine boxes.

The Jordan Media Commission (JMC) also blocked 77 websites which streamed proprietary beIN content without permission in less than a month. Furthermore, JMC issued a formal instruction last month to all media outlets in Jordan, asking them to refrain from presenting any proprietary World Cup content without a licence. JMC is also expected to issue a similar warning against the promotion or advertisement of illicit streaming devices.

DNL and JMC have been working with beIN to tackle the activity of illegal providers of sports and entertainment broadcasts.

Vox Cinemas unveils first slate of original Arabic-language films

Vox Cinemas has unveiled its debut slate of original Arabic films under a commitment first announced in 2021 to make 25 films in the region in five years. The line-up features titles from new and established filmmakers in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Lebanon.

HJWN (Hawjen) is the third film from Vox Cinemas, Image Nation Abu Dhabi and MBC Studios. The three companies signed a landmark alliance at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, a production partnership for film and TV projects across the Middle East. The three entities also joined forces on King of the Ring, a Saudi remake of the South Korean comedydrama hit The Foul King.

Slated for 2023 is Voy! Voy! Voy!, a collaboration between Vox Cinemas, Film Clinic and Image Nation Abu Dhabi. The Egyptian film is the directorial debut of Omar Hilal. Vox Cinemas will also join forces with Sirb Productions, a sister company of Myrkott Animation Studio and the firm behind the Masameer franchise, to produce their second live-action film, a Saudi comedy; and director Hadi El Bagoury’s first Egyptian action-comedy feature is being developed in partnership with The Producers, the creative minds behind Hepta, the highest-grossing romantic film in Egypt on its release.

Vox Cinemas has teamed up with The Big Picture Studios, an Imagic Group company. It has also signed a deal with Blue Engine Studios, helmed by Ziad Kebbi and Hani Ghorayeb. Through working with writers and hosting workshops, it is enabling emerging filmmakers and providing resources to accelerate their careers, including guidance on how to market and distribute films for the big screen.

Toni El Massih, MD of Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas, and Abdulaziz Almuzaini, CEO of Sirb Production and Myrkott Animation Studio, signed a deal at the Red Sea International Film Festival.

Lawo founder dies aged 85

Peter Lawo, founder of a German company for broadcast and media technologies, died on November 24 at the age of 85. The engineer and entrepreneur founded today’s Lawo AG in 1970 and laid the foundation for the company’s worldwide reputation and economic success with innovative audio products and uncompromising quality standards.

Jordan’s Telescope secures Series A round of funding

Jordanian content creation incubator Telescope has raised an undisclosed amount in seed investment from Select Venture Equity in the UAE, with the investment agreement signed recently in Dubai. Founded in 2019 by Dr Moatasim Masalmeh, Telescope offers a range of content under multiple categories including art, entertainment and education, with over a thousand shows and video series and 2m followers across the MENA region. It also caters to influencers and content creators looking to grow their online presence.

According to Masalmeh, this investment will be used to expand Telescope operations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as improve engagement with Telescope influencers and customers through technology. In a statement, the company said: “We aim to be the most prominent content creation incubator, building on the success we had in the last three years and state-of-theart studios we built. Our technology front will take our content creation and distribution to another level.”

From left: Telescope founder Dr Moatasim Masalmeh with Select Venture Equity Director Amjad Mustafa.